Somebody gave me an Eagle Claw #FL209 - 9' Featherlight Spinning rod. Seeems to be in pretty good shape but I have a couple questions about it. Maybe somebody here also likes fishing with a spinning rig?

The cork butt is 13" long but only has 2 strange rings to hold the reel:

It seems to me that the reel would slide right out of the rings. Is this normal? Any suggestions for a more secure setup?

Secondly, on the tip section the guides make a gradual twist to 90 degrees clockwise in relation to the reel and butt section. How strange. It appears that that is the way it was meant to be when it was manufactured. The guy that gave it to me said that the twist is there so that the guides present themselves properly to the line stress when trolling. Does that mean I can only use this rod for trolling from a boat? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance. :D

bigjim5589

05-10-2013 02:17 PM

Re: Not fly ... but spin

Nice looking condition if the handle is any indication!

If you notice, the rings are tapered inside. That taper matches the tapered reel foot. Slide them up on the reel foot & friction & tension in the rings should hold the reel securely. However, I've known guys with that type of set-up who also taped the reel with electrical tape to keep the rings from moving.

I had a similar spinning rod many years ago when I was a kid. The rings were like large springs, made with wire. It worked fine but would occasionally get loose.

As far as the spiral wrap of the guides, I've not used a rod like that but have seen them with both spinning & baitcasters. I don't recall seeing any trolling rods like that, but doesn't mean they're not done that way.

Perhaps Steeldrifter, being a rod builder can add a bit of insight to that design.

EC has had some pretty nice rods over the years. Some have a good following now, and are very desirable for fishing & collecting. IMO, you should give it a try & see how you like it! I know I would! :thumbsupu

jimp

05-11-2013 07:21 PM

Re: Not fly ... but spin

Alot of people that use type of handle use electrical tape to secure the reel, check out BPS and you can find the "nickname" of that type handle. Possibly a Tennessee handle, but not sure. You can fine tune the balance of the rod/reel since you can move it up/down the handle.

The guides are not in a straight line so that alot of the stress when you hook a bigger fish is spread out over more of the rod than if the guides were in a straight line or normal manner. I've heard of this style of guides on trolling rods but they are usually the bigger/heavier rods for the bigger fish.

I would not think your rod is a heavy weight rod since the method of attaching the reel is suspect to coming loose imo unless taped up securely. I suspect the rod is "jigging" rod, used in dropping lures down into brush piles or around stumps, etc., aka "single poling" or "jiggin" style of fishing for crappie or other panfish. Catching a 1.5lb + crappie on a very whippy or UL long rod of 9' will put some stress on the rod, especially if in a brush pile, and the fish makes a run for the bottom of the brush pile.